New York Times and USA Today Bestseller "A thrilling, haunting, and deeply romantic story."-Rachel Hore, internationally bestselling author of The Memory Garden "Whatever time we have," he said, "it will be time enough." Eva Ward returns to the only place she truly belongs, the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking happiness in memories of childhood summers. There she finds mysterious voices and hidden pathways that sweep her not only into the past, but also into the arms of a man who is not of her time. But Eva must confront her own ghosts, as well as those of long ago. As she begins to question her place in the present, she comes to realize that she too must decide where she really belongs. From Susanna Kearsley, author of the New York Times bestseller The Winter Sea and a voice acclaimed by fans of Gabaldon, du Maurier, and Niffenegger alike, The Rose Garden is a haunting exploration of love, family, the true meaning of home, and the ties that bind us together. Praise for New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Winter Sea: "Lifts readers straight into another time and place to smell the sea, feel the castle walls, and sense every emotion. These are marks of a fantastic storyteller."-RT Book Reviews Top Pick of the Month, 4 1/2 stars "Ingenious...a creative tour de force. Sometimes an author catches lightning in a bottle, and Susanna Kearsley has done just that."-New York Journal of Books.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and RITA award winner, Susanna Kearsley is known for her meticulous research and exotic settings from Russia to Italy to Cornwall, which not only entertain her readers but give her a great reason to travel. Her lush writing has been compared to Mary Stewart, Daphne Du Maurier, and Diana Gabaldon. She hit the bestseller lists in the U.S. with The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden, both RITA finalists and winners of RT Reviewers' Choice Awards. Other honors include finaling for the UK's Romantic Novel of the Year Award, National Readers' Choice Awards, and the prestigious Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize. Her popular and critically-acclaimed books are available in translation in more than 20 countries and as audio books. She lives in Canada, near the shores of Lake Ontario.

The first known time-travel story appeared in the year 720, in a Japanese book called the Nihongi, and many other writers since then have explored the concept. What do you think is the reason for the enduring appeal of time-travel stories?

Stephen Hawking, in his essay “How to Build a Time Machine,” says: “Time travel was once considered scientific heresy. I used to avoid talking about it for fear of being labeled a crank. But these days I’m not so cautious… I do believe in time travel.” Does knowing that noted physicists like Hawking accept the fact of time as a fourth dimension make the whole idea of time travel seem more believable to you, or do you feel it’s all a fantasy?

One of the reasons that some scientists, including Hawking, think that time travel to the past is less likely to happen and more problematic than travel to the future, has to do with paradoxes and the problems they create: the chance that a time traveler might meet a former version of himself or somehow change the way the future is meant to happen. In The Rose Garden, Daniel dismisses this idea outright. His view is that nothing Eva does in the past can change the future, and her own experience seems to bear this out. What did you think of this departure from the usual rules of time travel? How did you feel about Daniel’s belief that our lives are predestined, that what happens to us is just meant to happen?

Fergal says of Daniel: “Knowing that the battle will not end the way he wishes does not make it any less worthwhile to fight.” Daniel stays committed to his cause and to his kinsmen, even though it puts himself and those he loves in harm’s way. Do you find this noble or naive?

In the past, Fergal steps in to become Eva’s mentor and confidant. Which character do you think fills these roles in the present?

Even though she knew what Eva was going through, Claire purposely stayed out of things and didn’t interfere. Do you think she took the right approach? Is there any way she could have made things easier for Eva? How might the story have changed if she’d been more involved?

What moment in your own family history would you like to witness, if you could?

Katrina remains an unseen extra character throughout the story. How do you think she influences Eva’s actions, and where did you sense this most strongly?

Eva’s appearance is never described in the novel, except for the length of her hair. Did you notice this? Did it affect your ability to “see” her? Why do you think that the author chose not to describe her?

The love scenes in this book (and in all of Susanna Kearsley’s books) are decidedly G-rated. Do you like this approach, or do you prefer the bedroom door to be left open? Can a love story with no sex still be sexy?

The historical account of the attempt to raise a Jacobite rebellion force in Cornwall is true, and the events of the past story are played out against an actual historical timeline, even using some real people, like the traitorous Colonel Maclean. Does it change the way you read a story when you know that some of the events really happened? Do you find it a strength or a weakness in fiction?

Do you think historical fiction is a valid and useful way of learning about history? Were there any bits of history you learned from this book that you didn’t know before?

Apart from her feelings for Daniel, why do you think Eva felt more at home in the past than the present? Did you notice any differences in the way she fit into or was treated in the two different Trelowarths?

At the end of the book, Eva is very certain and confident that she and Daniel will be able to build a life together in the past. Do you share her confidence? What qualities do you think she and Daniel each bring to the relationship that will help make it a success?

What do you think is likely to be the biggest challenge for Eva in her new life; the biggest adjustment she’ll have to make? What would you find most difficult about living in the early 18th century?